RIHA Journal 0198 | 10 September 2018 The Restricted Design Competition for the New York Life Insurance Company Building in Budapest A Late Nineteenth-Century International e!i"n Competition in Central #urope Katalin arótzy and #rton $"ékely &'stract Rapi$ in$u!triali%ation an$ urbani%ation in #urope an$ the &nite$ State! intro$u'e$ ne( buil$in" type! an$ ne( metho$! o) 'on!tru'tion* lea$in" to important 'han"e! in the ar'hite'tural lan$!'ape o) ma+or 'itie!, -ubli' an$ 'orporate 'on!tru'tion proli)erate$* an$ $e!i"n 'ompetition! were 'alle$ upon to i$enti)y ar'hite'tural pro+e't! that be!t !uite$ the nee$! o) a parti'ular !tate in!titution or private 'ompany, Althou"h initially the!e 'ompetition! (ere open to all member! o) the ar'hite'tural pro)e!!ion* towar$! the en$ o) the nineteenth 'entury, their )ormat 'han"e$ to be more e/e'tive* with only a re!tri'te$ number o) ar'hite't! 'ompetin" )or the 'ommi!!ion, 0he pre!ent paper )o'u!e! on the 'ompetition )or the Ne( 1or2 Li)e -ala'e in 3u$ape!t an$ !he$! li"ht on it! 'onne'tion! with the international tren$!, Contents Intro$u'tion Company Buil$in"! in Europe 0he Competition for the New Yor2 Li)e Pala'e in Bu$ape!t 0he Conte!tant! 0he Fa5a$e Propo!al! 0he Propo!al! for the Interior 0he Competition6! Out'ome Ala+o! Hau!%mann6! E8e'ute$ Pro+e't #pilo"ue Intro$u'tion 91: urin" the !e'on$ hal) o) the nineteenth 'entury, 3u$ape!t* the 'apital o) Hun"ary, wa! one o) the mo!t rapi$ly "rowin" 'itie! in #urope; by the 1910s* it ha$ be'ome one o) the lar"e!t on the 'ontinent,1 #urope an$ po!t-Civil <ar 1 =abor -reisich* 3u$apest .>ro!?p@t?!?ne2 tArt?nete 3u$a .i!!%a.?tel?tBl a II, .il>"h>borC .?"?i" [The 3uil$in" History o) 3u$apest )rom the 3attle o) 3u$a to the #n$ o) the Secon$ <orl$ <ar:* 3u$apest 200D* D2, RIHA Journal 0198 | 10 September 2018 &nite$ State! be'ame 'lo!er partner! re"ar$in" e'onomy, te'hnolo"y an$* to a 'ertain extent* ar'hite'ture, 0he pa'e o) e'onomi' $evelopment in the late- nineteenth an$ early-twentieth 'enturie! wa! unpre'e$ente$ on both en$!,2 0he $evelopment o) tran!portation an$ 'ommuni'ation me$ia 'reate$ ne( opportunitie! )or an international 'apitali!m* an$ mo$ern )orm! o) )orei"n inve!tment! appeare$ in the in$u!triali!e$ 'ountrie!,E Corporation! no( venture$ into port)olio inve!tment! abroa$*D an$ thi! provi$e$ opportunitie! )or ma+or ar'hite'tural pro+e't!, Several we!tern 'ompanie! inve!te$ into Central an$ #a!tern Europe an$ ha$ pre!ti"iou! buil$in"! con!tru'te$ in citie! li2e Bu$ape!t, 92: 0he late nineteenth 'entury not only brou"ht about an e'onomi' revolution* but al!o a te'hni'al one in the Fel$! o) en"ineerin" an$ ar'hite'ture, Steel G the mo!t important ne( material o) the 'entury G allowe$ ar'hite't! to $e!i"n in'rea!in"ly taller !tru'ture!; the u!e o) !2eleton )rame! enable$ the buil$in"! to "ro( to a !'ale ne.er !een be)ore, In the &nite$ State!* where lai!!e%-)aire 'apitali!m prevaile$*H 'itie! $i$ not prohibit hi"h-ri!e buil$in"!, So* a! te'hni'al innovation! ma$e !u'h 'on!tru'tion pro+e't! po!!ible*I !2ys'raper! appeare$ an$ 'han"e$ the !2yline! in the Ne( <orl$ )orever, Jeanwhile* in #urope* inve!tor! ha$ to )ollow !tri'ter urban re"ulation! than in the &nite$ State!* (hi'h ha$ to $o (ith !u'h a!pe't! o) buil$in" 'on!tru'tion a! !treet line alli"nment* the main 'orni'e hei"ht* the number o) !torie!* an$ the Fre prevention or$inan'e!,K Con!eLuently, althou"h the 7l$ <orl$ e'onomy $i$ not pro!per any le!!* 'itys'ape! $i$ not 'han"e a! $ramati'ally; neverthele!!* the late-nineteenth 'entury ar'hite'ture beneFte$ "reatly )rom the "lobal pro!perity o) the era, 8 0he ar'hite'tural !tyle o) the!e $e'a$e!* late hi!tori'i!m* i! 'hara'teri%e$ by a 'ombination o) variou! element! )rom $i/erent hi!tori'al perio$! re!ultin" in ne( an$ un'onventional combination!,9 9E: 3e)ore the 1800s* tower! an$ 'upola! ha$ a !pe'iF' hi!tori'al )un'tion in ar'hite'ture; be!i$e their ae!theti' value* their purpo!e wa! to !ymboli!e the power an$ "reatne!! o) reli"iou! an$ politi'al authoritie!, 0hey ne.er lo!t their !ymboli!m entirely, but by the en$ o) the nineteenth 'entury, they 'ame to play 2 Ronal$ 4in$lay an$ Me.in H, 76Rour2e* -o(er an$ -lentyN 0ra$e* <ar* an$ the <orl$ #conomy in the Secon$ Jillennium* -rinceton 200K* EK8, E 4in$lay an$ 76Rour2e* -o(er an$ -lenty* E9H, D 4in$lay an$ 76Rour2e* -o(er an$ -lenty* D2D, H Cynthia Clar2* The American #conomyN A Historical #ncyclope$ia* 2n$ e$,* Santa 3arbara* CA 2011* 2IH, I Si")rie$ =ie$ion* Space* 0ime an$ ArchitectureN The =ro(th o) a Ne( 0ra$ition* Cambri$"e* JA 19IK (frst publishe$ by Har.ar$ &ni.ersity -re!! 19D1P* EH0, K -reisich* 3u$apest .>ro!?p@t?!?ne2 tArt?nete 3u$a .i!!%a.?tel?tBl a II, .il>"h>borC .?"?i"* 9K, 8 Robin Ji$$leton an$ Da.i$ <atkin* Neoclassical an$ 19th Century Architecture* .ol, 1N The #nli"htenment in 4rance an$ in #n"lan$* Jilan 198K* E2, 9 eborah Sil.erman* QThe -ari! #8hibition o) 1889N Ar'hitecture an$ the Crisi! o) In$i.i$ualismR* inN 7pposition! 8 (19KKP* K0G91, RIHA Journal 0198 | 10 September 2018 a !e'on$ary $e'orative role in the overall $e!i"n* that o) empha!i%in" verti'ality, Althou"h in many #uropean 'itie! hei"ht re!tri'tion la(! were impo!e$* a$$itional tower! or 'upola! were allowe$ to e8'ee$ the !et hei"ht, Con!eLuently, !2yline! in numerou! "reat metropoli!e! o) #urope 'ame to be $ominate$ by hi!tori'i!t tower! an$ 'upola!, 0hi! happene$ in parallel (ith the 'on!tru'tion o) early !2ys'raper! in North Ameri'a, Althou"h the!e mo$ern tower! $i/ere$ "reatly )rom the #uropean buil$in"! in term! o) their !tru'ture or !i%e* upon 'lo!er examination* the !imilarity o) 'ertain ar'hite'tural element! i! e.i$ent* !in'e in both 'a!e! the $e'orative $etail! (ere arti'ulate$ in a way that 'lo!ely re!emble$ European hi!tori'i!m, 9D: A ne( type o) buil$in"!* the 'ommer'ial an$ in$u!trial 'ompany hea$Luarter!* emer"e$ at that moment,10 A! the!e enterpri!e! !tarte$ to "ro(* they 'on!tru'te$ "reater an$ more pre!ti"iou! e$iF'e! )or them!elve!* whi'h (ere meant to expre!! their power an$ !tability,11 A)ter the Ameri'an Civil <ar* there wa! a perio$ o) e'onomi' "rowth in the &nite$ State!* an$ many Ameri'an 'ompanie! !tarte$ to $e.elop 'lo!er bu!ine!! relation! with the #uropean 'ountrie!, 0hi! lea$ to real e!tate inve!tment! with the purpo!e o) 'reatin" lo'al hea$Luarter! that (ere al!o meant to be Q!tan$in" a$verti!ement!R, 3an2! an$ in!uran'e 'ompanie! were amon" the pioneer! in the area! o) mo$ern a$verti!in" an$ publi' relation!* re'o"ni!in" the !i"niF'an'e o) the expre!!ive power o) ar'hite'ture Luite early in the pro'e!!, Sin'e they o/ere$ no material pro$u't )or !ale* ere'tin" !pe'ta'ular buil$in"! be'ame e!pe'ially important )or the!e enterpri!e! to gain the tru!t o) their potential cu!tomer!,12 9H: urin" the nineteenth 'entury, not only the 'on!tru'tion an$ $e!i"n metho$!* but the pra'ti'e o) ar'hite'ture it!el) un$erwent !i"niF'ant 'han"e!, =uil$! that re"ulate$ mo!t o) the pro)e!!ion! !in'e the Ji$$le A"e! (ere "ra$ually repla'e$ (ith the mo$ern !ystem o) 'hamber! o) 'ra)t!, 0hi! mo$erni!ation o''urre$ )ollowin" the emer"en'e o) the #nli"htenment i$ea! in the late ei"hteenth 'entury, whi'h re!ulte$ in an in'rea!in" publi' $eman$ )or a more $emo'rati' way o) !ele'tin" the ar'hite't that woul$ re'eive the 'ommi!!ion, In the <e!t* in!tea$ o) $ire't 'ommi!!ion!* a pre)eren'e )or the pro'e!! o) open 'ompetition! )or ma+or ar'hite'tural pro+e't! $evelope$,1E e!i"n 'ompetition! be'ame the !ymbol o) !o'iety’s 'ommitment to 'ivi' pro"re!! in the Fel$ o) ar'hite'ture,1D 0he &nite$ State! playe$ the lea$in" role in !prea$in" thi! metho$ a! their 10 Sir Ni2olau! -e.sner* History o) 3uil$in" 0ype!* -rinceton 19KI* 21E, 11 Henry-Russell Hitchco'2* ArchitectureN Nineteenth an$ 0(entieth Centurie!* Harmon$!(orth 19KK* E2K, 12 Lan$mar2! -reser.ation Commission* esi"nation List 18K L--1H1E* Ne( 1or2* 4ebruary 10* 198K* seeN http!NSSs-me$ia,ny',"o.Sa"encie!Slp'SlpS1H1E,p$)* p, I, 1E Hil$e e Haan an$ I$! Haa"sma* e$!,* Architect! in CompetitionN International Architectural Competition! o) the Last 200 1ear!* Lon$on 1988* K, 1D Joan 3assin* Architectural Competition! in Nineteenth-Century #n"lan$* Ann Arbor 198D* I, RIHA Journal 0198 | 10 September 2018 "overnment wa! the Fr!t to announ'e open publi' $e!i"n 'ompetition! in 1792.